Summary

  • Nineteen people are missing after a huge blast at an explosives plant in Tennessee, officials say

  • Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis, visibly emotional as he says how may are missing, says there is no short-term explanation as to what happened, and the Bureau of ATF and FBI are "handling the scene"

  • Aerial video from the scene in Bucksnort, south-west of Nashville, shows charred debris, smouldering vehicles and little remaining of the facility

  • The explosion just before 08:00 local time was heard from miles away including in neighbouring counties

  • There is a huge emergency response at the scene, with one first responder telling the Associated Press they could not enter the site initially due to continuing detonations

  • The factory belongs to Accurate Energetic Systems, which specialises in the development, manufacture, handling, and storage of explosives

Live Reporting

Edited by Brandon Livesay and Jamie Whitehead

  1. 'Mistakes do happen' even with regulations, says ATF special agent

    Facilities like the one in Tennessee are highly regulated, says John DeVito, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

    Those who work there are highly trained in safety protocol that spans the federal, state and local level, but "mistakes do happen", he says.

    "This is a terrible incident but we will get to the bottom of it," he says. "We will find survivors."

  2. Federal explosives investigators at the scene

    Special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are at the scene of the blast, according to a statement from its field office in Nashville.

    "We are working with our state local and federal partners to investigate," the statement says.

  3. BBC Verify

    Comparing helicopter footage and previous satellite imagery

    Composite image of facility before and after explosion

    By Richard Irvine-Brown

    We have been looking at the site of the explosion and the area around it to learn what we can.

    Helicopter footage supplied by WTVF matches a clearing to the west of the Accurate Energetic Systems site.

    Satellite images show a building at this clearing, now completely gone, but the trees, road layout and adjacent car park are all a match from the videos we have seen.

    Further images used by local media show a gateway to the site under guard, 1 mile (1.7km) southeast of the clearing.

    The clearing is about 0.6 mile from the nearest road, Tennessee State Route 230, itself about 18.6 miles from Dickson, the nearest major town.

  4. Access to explosives facility now blocked by Highway Patrol

    A couple more pictures are coming in now from the scene of the blast.

    Highway Patrol has blocked off access to the site of Accurate Energetic Systems - the facility where the explosion happened - and local media are setting up nearby.

    Some cars block a road surrounded by treesGetty Images
    A man sets up cameras by a signGetty Images

  5. What we know about the blast so far - and what we do not

    What we know

    • The explosion of the military explosives faciity in Tennesee happened just before 08:00 local time (16:00 BST)
    • Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis says "some are deceased"
    • At least 19 people are unaccounted for, local media reports
    • The explosion took place at the Accurate Energetic Systems factory in the city of McEwan in Humphreys County, Tennessee - roughly 56 miles (90km) south west of Nashville
    • The facility specialises in making "high-grade explosives for demolition", as well as producing military explosives such as mines
    • There was a "small ammunition explosion" at the site in 2014, but it has had no safety issues since then - says the Hickman County mayor

    What we don't know

    • What caused the explosion
    • The exact number of people unaccounted for, and the exact number of casualties, is still unclear
    • It's not yet known if the fire is still burning at the facility, or if the site still poses a risk of explosions

  6. Location of the Accurate Energetic Systems site

    We can now bring you a map showing where the explosion took place.

    Map split into 2. Top half shows Dickson and Nashville labelled and a small Tennessee map in the top left corner. The bottom half shows were the Accurate Energetic Systems factory is located

  7. Hickman mayor says facility has no safety issues apart from one small explosion in 2014

    The mayor of Hickman County says there are still a lot of questions to be answered after the explosion.

    Speaking to CNN a few minutes ago, Mayor Jim Bates says the cause is still unclear, but the impacts on the community will be wide-reaching.

    "It's pretty devastating to see this."

    He also says he's heading to the site now.

    Apart from one "small ammunition explosion" in 2014, the facility has had no safety issues, he says.

    As for concerns about hazardous materials in the air or the risk of secondary explosions, Bates says he's not aware of any.

    "There's a lot of question," he says, stressing that they will be answered in an investigation.

  8. 'All agencies are responding now'

    More now from Grey Collier, from Humphreys County emergency management.

    She says that "all agencies are responding now". This includes members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Department of Homeland Security.

    Collier also describes the investigation as a "joint operation" between Humphreys County and Hickman County, since the facility that exploded sits on the county line.

  9. Families now waiting for news about their loved ones, emergency official tells BBC

    Although the exact number of missing and dead is still unknown, there are both "some casualties and some missing", Humphreys County emergency management team spokesperson Grey Collier tells the BBC.

    "The families are there waiting at the main office to hear news, to find out about their loved ones," she says.

    She adds that officials are currently focused on notifying those "who obviously know their families went to work but now don't know what's going on".

  10. Company offers range of explosive products

    Nick Beake
    BBC Verify Correspondent

    According to the company’s website, Accurate Energetic Systems was set up 45 years ago.

    Among its listed specialisms are the "creation of high-grade explosives for demolition" as well as the production of claymore mines - anti-personnel devices used by armies.

    The company also makes Explosive Munitions Pellets, which it says can be used for military and aerospace use.

    Its facility in Bucksnort, Tennessee, is said to house "state of the art" facilities for explosives testing.

    The website outlines a commitment to excellence, including in health and safety, to its operation.

    "Trusted precision. For every mission" is one of their slogans.

  11. New pictures from scene of explosives facility blast

    Some new pictures are coming in now from the scene of the blast.

    Huge plumes of thick grey smoke can be seen over the site, with charred and burnt-out cars and scattered debris covering the ground.

    Burned out landscapeWTVF
    burnt out landscapeWTVF
    burnt out landscapeWTVF

  12. Tennessee congressman calls for prayers

    Tennessee congressman Scott DesJarlais has called for prayers "for the employees and the families and friends of those at the Accurate Energetic Systems plant in Hickman County".

    "Please also pray for all of the first responders on the scene," he adds in the statement on X.

  13. Several small explosions follow first major blast - sheriff

    Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis says there were several small explosions after the first major blast, according to CBS News, the BBC's US partners.

    "We do have several people at this time unaccounted for. We are trying to be mindful of families and that situation," Davis says. "We do have some that are deceased."

    Davis adds that there will be a "very big investigation".

    Another official in neighbouring Hickman County tells the Associated Press news agency the explosion hampered initial rescue efforts.

  14. Video shows burnt-out vehicles

    Charred pieces of metal scattered across the dirtAPTN

    Footage from the scene of the explosion, posted on social media by local TV station NewsChannel 5, shows embers flickering next to cars burned to a crisp.

    Charred pieces of metal, which appear to be beams from the facility's infrastructure, are scattered across the dirt in twisted, warped piles.

    Plumes of smoke cloud the camera's view.

  15. 'I thought the house had collapsed with me inside of it'

    A video circulating on social media, which appears to be from a doorbell camera, captures loud bangs in the background.

    A nearby resident tells our US partner CBS News they were woken up by the sound of a loud blast.

    Gentry Stover, who lives close to Accurate Energetic Systems where the explosion happened, says: "I thought the house had collapsed with me inside of it."

  16. What is the facility?

    The explosion at an Accurate Energetic Systems factory on Friday morning occurred in McEwen, Tennessee.

    According to its website, the company provides solutions for energetics products serving the defence, aerospace and demolition, and is located roughly 56 miles (90km) away from the much more populous Nashville.

  17. Emergency services at the scene

    The explosion, about an hour south of Nashville, was confirmed by the Hickman County Sheriff's Office.

    "We can confirm there has been an explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems in the Bucksnort area," the sheriff's office said.

    "Emergency services are currently on the scene working to address the situation."

  18. Deadly blast at military explosives facility in Tennessee
    Breaking

    There are reports of a huge blast at a military explosives facility in Tennessee.

    Local media reports at least 19 people are unaccounted for.

    This is breaking news, stick with us for more updates shortly.